Improvement in thread-measuring apparatus



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. F. DUNN.

Improvement in Thread Measuring Apparatus.

Patented Dec. 26,1871.

2 Sheets- Sheet 2. L F.DUNN.

Improvement in Thread Measuring Apparatus.

.No, 122,236, Patented Dec. 26,1871.

, lfZMaases;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD F. DUNN, OF ONEIDA COMMUNITY, ON EIDA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THREAD-MEASURING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,236, dated December26, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD F. DUNN, of

Oneida Community, Oneida, in the county of specification, and in whichFigure 1 represents a plan, and Figs. 2 and 3 side elevations, at rightangles to each other, of an apparatus constructed in accordance with myinvention, the measuring devices being drawn to a scale of aboutthree-fourths full size.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures.

My improved apparatus is designed for the measuring of silk and otherthreads put up on spools, and is applicable either as an appendage to aspoofing-machine for measuring the thread as it is wound on the spool,or as a separate device for measuring by unwinding the thread from thespool. The invention consists in a combination, with the revolvingspindle which carries the spool, of a friction-wheel, connected with'theregistering mechanism, provided with a stop for arresting the motion ofthe wheel when releasing it from contact with the spool; likewise acombination of devices whereby the spool-spindle and friction-wheel,driven by the thread on the spool, are automatically and simultaneouslystopped, for the purpose of securing accuracy in measurement of thethread.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents a bed or top of a table orbench, on which is surmounted a bed-plate, B, provided with sideuprights or checks 0 C that serveto carry therotatin g spool-spindle D.This spindle has one of its ends arranged to overhang, and isconstructed or fitted with a cone to allow of the spool E being slipped"on or off the spindle, and to provide for the driving of the spool bythe spindle when on the latter.

' Said spindle, when the apparatus is used in connection with aspoofing-machine, is driven by belt through a loose pulley, S, andfriction-clutch, F, which latter may be of any suitable construction,and is here arranged so that accordingly as the clutch is slid in onedirection or the other along the spindle, the pulley S is made toestablish or break frictional contact with said clutch and a .on thespool.

fixed collar, G, of the spindle, for the purpose of starting orarresting the motion-of the latter, as required. H is thefriction-wheel, by which motion is communicated to the registeringmechan' ism by contact of the body of thread on the spool with saidwheel at its periphery. This wheel, the axis of whichis parallel withthat of the spoolspindle, may either be arranged tolie under the spool,over it,-or to one side thereof, as desired,

and may either be fed up automatically or separately, by hand, againstthe body of thread on the spool, with freedom to change its axialdistance from the spool to suit different diameters of spools, and toadapt itself to varying quantities of thread on the spool. It is hereshown, however, as being adjusted toward or from the spoolautomatically, for which purpose the spindle I, on which said wheel issecured, has its bearing b b in side arms of a swinging-frame, J,pivoted as at c, and pressed upward by a spring, K, or otherwise by aweight, to force the periphery of the wheel H against the body of threadon the spool, and to cause the wheel to adapt itself to increase ordiminution in the quantity of thread Said wheel is altogether removedfrom contact with the spool by means of atreadle, arranged and operatingby means of a spring under it to bear up on the one end of a lever, L,which, at its other end, bears down on a rod, M, that straddles across-bar of the frame J to hold the wheel H from contact with thespool, and against a friction-pad or stop, N, the use of which will behereinafter explained. This release of the wheel H 'from contact withthe thread on the spool E is its normal condition, and it is only putinto frictional contact with the spool by the action of the foot of theoperator on the treadle. O is the dial of the registering device, themechanism of which is in gear ith a pinion, d, on the spindle I, forcommunicating motion,as desired, from frictional contact of the wheel Hwith the body of thread on the spool, and whereby the measuring of thethread is eifected. This action is the same, both when the apparatus isused in connection with a spoofing-machine, by passing the thread overan ordinary traverse guide, P,

v Fig. 3, for laying the thread on the spool as the spindle of thelatter is rotated to wind the thread on the spool; also, when theapparatus is used to measure the quantity of thread previously wound ona spool by rotating a spool-spindle t0 -unw-ind the thread from thespool through draft on the loose end of the thread,; as illustrated bythe dotted line a: in Fig. 3. The width of the have a reciprocatingmotion vacross the face of the spool to prevent the wheels creasing ormarking the final layer of silk or thread on the spool. For this latterpurpose the spindle l, which carries the wheel, is represented ascapable of sliding longitudinally inits bearings b b, and the pinion dis suitably elongated to remain in gear with the registering mechanismduring the longitudinal movement of the spindle. Said spindle may bemoved or reciprocated longitudinally either by mechanism in a positivemanner, by hand, or automatically by the thread as it is wound on vthespool, actingalternately against opposite edges of the periphery of thewheel, accordingly as the thread is wound to the right or to the left insuccessive layers on the spool.

To secure accuracy of measurement it is important, when the apparatus isapplied to a spoolin gmachine, that, simultaneous with the stoppage ofthe winding of the thread on the spool, or as the spool ceases torevolve, the wheel H'should not only be moved away from the spool, butits momentum be instantaneously arrested; also, that when starting theapparatus there should no winding take place on the spool till the wheelH is in contact with the body thereof. For these purposes the stoppingand starting of the spoolspindle is made automatic with the setting ofthe wheel H up to or from the spool, by connecting the bell-crankedlever It, which operates the friction-clutch F, with the lever L thatserves to move the wheel away from the spool, and the friction-pad orstop N serves to instantaneously arrest the momentum of the wheel H, andto hold it from turning when moved away from the spool.

hat is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the stop N with the friction-wheel H, a movableframe carrying said wh eel, subject to control by a weight or spring, asdescribed, the spool -spindle D, and registering mechanism set in motionby the friction -wheel,'

essentially as herein set forth. r

2. The combination with the lever L, which serves to control the contactof the wheel H with the spool, of the clutch-operating lever B, thefriction-clutch F, and loose pulley S on the spools'pindle, whereby anautomatic and synchronous action is obtained for the spool andfriction-wheel H, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the spool-spindle D, of the friction-wheel H,hung so as to be selfadjustin'g toward or from the spool, when saidwheel or its shaft I is arranged to reciprocate in direction of thelength of their axes, essentially as described.

- LEONARD F. DUNN.

Witnesses:

JULIUs HAWLEY', FRANKLIN PLATT.

